A Lady Should Never Cry in Front of Others
by girly tomboy
Summary: Although Sougo would never admit it, he preferred the typical, obnoxious China who always grated his very nerves over the beast threatening to swallow her whole.


**Anime: Gintama**

**Pairing/Characters: Okita Sougo and Kagura, Kamui**

**Rating: T (Explicit Language and Mentions of Explicit Content)**

**Disclaimer: All rights belong to the genius Sorachi Hideaki.**

* * *

A Lady Should Never Cry in Front of Others

X

To say that Okita Sougo did not know what to expect when he saw two already bat shit insane Yato siblings losing control before his very eyes was an understatement. And what's more, one of them was his _rival. _The same rival who did whatever the hell she wanted, was a hardcore _sukonbu _fanatic, and would willingly pick her boogers in public without an inch of remorse or embarrassment.

As he watched on, he began to mull over the young girl currently flipping gracefully through the air. Even though she was his rival; an enemy he was sworn to defeat, he couldn't contain the tiny inkling in the back of his mind that blatantly stated that she was still, however, a _Yato_, and was part of the strongest clan in the universe. She was bound to go all out in a fight with a fellow clansmen some day, everything else be damned.

He never thought it would be this _bloody _though.

The familiar stench of the crimson substance wafted through the air and permeated his senses, reminding him of the all too familiar memories of the countless who he had both slashed own and watched get slashed. Too many times has he felt the thrill and spine tingling sensation of battle; he knew all too well how reveling it felt when blade met flesh. Next to him, the Yorozuya _Danna _and his bespectacled accomplice stood in silence, stone-faced. Their gazes, although contained lingering wisps of concern, were steely and all too concentrated on the battle before them, for they knew there was no way in hell they could intervene with a subject that was only meant to be between the two Yato currently fighting.

Glancing to his other side, Sougo saw the similar expression on both Kondo and Hijikata's face, although theirs' contained a hint of surprise, seeing as it was the first time they saw the China girl with such a bloodthirsty glint in her dilated pupils. Not unlike them, he was also mildly surprised when he witnessed his sworn enemy succumb to her Yato blood, watching in silence as she directed blow after painful blow to her fellow Yato kinsmen, receiving the same amount in return.

Although he wouldn't dare admit it, he secretly preferred the arrogant, self proclaimed Queen of Kabukicho over the young warrior gradually losing her rationality to her natural battle prowess.

He observed as Kagura chuckled maniacally for the nth time, not unlike Kamui's face as well, while sauntering out of the crater she had made when he slammed her into the ground with untamed force. Wavering shadows enveloped both of the siblings' features as they approached each other, their startling predatory gazes leveled at one another as they positioned into fighting stance.

Blood drenched their bodies, dripping and splattering at their feet, injuries marring almost every inch visible, yet doing nothing to impede the sadistically menacing grin etched upon their pale faces as they rushed towards each other in a flurry of motions.

Although Kagura's fighting style seemed barbaric and unorthodox compared to Kamui's, she was holding up, if not on par with him. The group silently observing only stared in awe and worry, for they were all skilled enough to detect the subtle movements that an untrained pair of eyes would never catch.

As to how the group arrived at the battle site, which also happened to be the two's home planet, was another story. In fact, the Yorozuya were supposed to land a planet over, but a flight mishap had prevented them from doing so. Fortunately, in their frenzied search for their youngest female member, luck had brought them to where she actually was.

* * *

On one unsuspecting weekday morning, the Yorozuya Danna had busted into the Shinsengumi compound, causing quite a ruckus. After having been woken up by the consecutive noise of things cracking and collapsing, followed by an obnoxious cacophony of swearing and yelling, Sougo forced himself out of his warm futon and made his way to the training grounds. When he got nearer, the distinct sound of something being dragged on the ground also accompanied the raucous disruption of the concise Shinsengumi morning schedule. The moment he arrived, he instantly regretted forgetting to bring his camera.

The scene he had jovially witnessed was that of the silver haired perm head trying to whack their very own Vice Commander on the head, who also came to see what was going on. The thing that amused the young First Division captain, however, was the fact that the silver haired perm head was using a half-naked, unconscious Kondo as a weapon, and was swinging him around by his head. Likewise, Hijikata was using a bloody, bruised Yamazaki to return his attacks.

"Oi, you damn tax robbers! Take this thing back with you! How the hell did he sneak into the Yorozuya's?!" Gintoki screamed, blocking and dealing blows using their Commander all the while.

Sougo was on the brink of tears as he tried so damn hard to muffle his laughter when Hijikata accidentally slipped and received a mouthful of Kondo's family jewels to the face, much to the Vice Commander's horror. Caught off guard, the Yamazaki in the man's hands slipped and the poor officer all but soared, landing directly on Gintoki's _bokuto_, which he had taken out in the meanwhile.

Signaling it as a temporary truce, the Yorozuya _Danna _ceased attack and instead straightened up, unceremoniously brushing one of the Shinsengumi's top spies off his weapon and stepping over him to where Hijikata was, and a still unconscious Kondo sprawled on the ground several feet away. All the rank and file members observing stared on in confusion and slight fear.

"I don't have time to deal with a gorilla's mating rituals. Gin-san's in a midlife crisis right now. His teenage daughter's in her rebellious stage right now where she thinks running away can solve everything in the damnworld." He inhaled sharply before talking rapidly again. "Because of your idiot leader, we just missed our flight. For all we know, Kagura could be drowning in a pool of her own blood right now, so don't get in our way, you damn tax robbers," the samurai finished dully, a perpetual expression of neutrality on his face.

Sougo and Hijikata, however, immediately noticed the dampening of the man's mood and the slight edge of haste and concern creeping in when he spoke. To think that _the _number one person able to lie straight through his teeth, all the while donning a poker face that infuriated quite too many was showing barely contained _worry _was quite unnerving.

"China? Dead? Those words don't suit that reckless beast of a girl, _Danna. _And what was that about running away?" The sandy brown haired officer all but declared, waiting for a reply. His superior also stood in stony silence, expecting an answer, although he feigned disinterest. The Yorozuya member stared at them before answering with a less than satisfying reply.

"I didn't know you lousy police loved infringing on an innocent civilian's peace and justice so much. I told you it's none of your damn business. Just take your gorilla back," he gritted out, promptly turning back around and heading towards the Shinsengumi compounds exit.

"Why her own _brother_, of all people..." Gintoki murmured, slightly shaking his head in the process, his figure quickly turning into a small silhouette before disappearing altogether. Sougo and Hijikata heard, clear as day, and their interest immediately piqued, more so than it already had.

"China has a brother? How interesting..." The latter of the two glanced at the former, who had startled him slightly when he spoke up. When Hijikata looked at Sougo, however, he saw a dangerously familiar glint in his startlingly wide orbs and a condescending smirk etched on his features that only spelled mischief. He discreetly gulped when he realized that the younger lad only donned that expression whenever he almost successfully ended his own superior's life, and was infinitely relieved to know that for once, it wasn't directed at him.

Of course, because of the Shinsengumi's _fantabulously awesome_ recon skills, they were able to find the Yorozuya members in a fairly short amount of time. Nothing beat the _Danna _and the Glasses' flabbergasted, horror-filled expressions, pupils dilated and mouths gaping wide open as the equally idiotic Shinsengumi trio met their stares as they sat down in the seats across from them on the flight, Kondo's excited screaming about leaving Edo for the first time staying unheard.

Gintoki's accusatory scream was cut short when an attendant immediately quieted him, a menacingly bright smile on her face, the deadly aura emitted around her contradicting her expression. He had then settled for a dark glare and turned around to go to sleep.

They were in for one of the biggest shocks of their life when they found out that they had, in their haste, went on the wrong ship to the wrong destination. Granted, the lack of passengers aboard should have indicated that already. Hell, most didn't even know what a Yato was. And, as always, Gintoki had managed to place the blame on the young Shimura samurai, deliberately blurting obscenities at him to veil the fact that it was partially his fault as well. The three Shinsengumi members watched in anticipated exasperation, and had no choice but to follow them as they traversed the foreign terrain.

Little did they know then that they had waltzed right into the gory scene of a battle to the death, and with two quite familiar people to boot.

* * *

A damp, slightly sticky sensation on Sougo's cheek abruptly brought him out of his reminiscing, and everyone else for that matter too. Even Kamui and Kagura seemed to have halted for a fraction of a second, gazing at the grey clouds above them in frozen curiosity. In no time, the sky had darkened significantly. What he initially thought was a foreign, wet sensation turned out to be a single raindrop.

In the blink of an eye, the light drizzle enveloped the entire surrounding in a flurry of spasmodic, clear specks and the thundering _pitter patter _of rain splattering against the rough, uneven terrain. However, Sougo only had a couple of seconds to revel in the refreshing change of weather before an explosive, echoing _bang _reverted his attention back to the fighting duo, only to see dust rising out of where they had been, spreading upward in plumes and spirals.

Everyone standing next to him immediately caught on as well and were waiting in anticipation, Sougo's indifferent facade masking the turmoil and concern inside. After what felt like ages, they saw a glimpse of a silhouette limp out, their features obscured by the billowing dust. The figure trudged forward a few feet before halting mid-step. Slowly, the figure turned around to where they had previously limped out of, standing stock still.

It was Kamui.

Everyone stood there, taking it in, before it finally dawned on them what had happened. Instantaneously, horror and rage were evident on the Yorozuya members' faces as they observed in silence, their hands balled into fists so tightly that their knuckles turned white and Gintoki's palm started to trickle blood. A burst of panic quickly filled Sougo's senses as he stared ahead. Hijikata and Kondo's lips were set in a firm line, their eyes glinting with trepidation and they clearly wanted to know what had occurred. They were all waiting for something, _anything _to happen.

The rain muffled the heavy gasps for breath Kamui was taking, but they could tell by the sporadic heaving of his chest. After a couple of seconds, he seemed to have calmed down and started to approach the mini crater where they had clashed. After the dust finally cleared, the outline of a limp body in the middle of the mini crater the two had made was visible, stained in crimson splatters of blood and noticeable gashes lining the body.

Sougo swore he almost lost it right then and there and he prepared to charge, if not for four tight grips on his upper arms. His eyes widened when he realized that both Hijikata and Kondo, as well as the two Yorozuya members had immediately clasped onto his arms and were staring at him, warning with their expressions for him to restrain himself. Strangely, there was a hint of knowing swirling in the depths of their steely eyes, as if they realized something he hadn't yet.

A pair of dragging footsteps interrupted them as they redirected their gaze to Kamui, who had limped toward the center of the small crater, where Kagura lied. Believing the worst, Gintoki was preparing to rush to where they were, a threat about to spill from his lips, when suddenly, the older Yato emerged from the lip of the crater, dragging a dauntingly familiar body by the arm, blood spurting everywhere.

When he neared, the Yorozuya members were already sprinting toward the man. Strangely, they hadn't said a word, nor did they unsheathe their _bokuto. _The moment they met, Gintoki and Shinpachi all but ignored the male Yato, instead snatching Kagura away from his grasp and carefully cradled her body, trying not to mess up her already large wounds. Kamui's face was obscured as he observed the three in front of them. The Shinsengumi members watched in bafflement when nothing exploded and the sound of weapons being drawn were unheard.

"She's still a pathetic weakling... I told you to make her stronger, Samurai-san..." The older Yato suddenly drawled out, bursting into a small bout of bloody coughing soon after. Gintoki ignored him and continued to carefully cradle his surrogate daughter's unconscious body, but he suddenly turned rigid and his usual fish eyes immediately hardened, indicating that he was listening. After Kamui had calmed down, he looked over his shoulder and flashed the Yorozuya members a broken, bloody grin, eyes gleefully closed, looking all the part like the power-hungry psychopath that he was.

Seeing as it wasn't the best time to interfere with a matter they clearly weren't involved in, Kondo nudged Hijikata and Sougo and glanced at them all-knowingly, yet still on guard as the male Yato started to trudge again, his dragging footsteps resonating through the air and his labored breathing accompanying in a symphony of exasperation and struggle.

When Kamui passed the Shinsengumi, he ignored them entirely and continued to begrudgingly walk on to an unknown destination, his face downcast and the heavy rain matting his hair to his forehead, blocking his eyes from view. It was brief; barely a hundredth of a millisecond, but the young, flaxen-haired officer saw a semblance of a foreign expression flit across the other man's face when he tilted his head. After contemplating for a moment, the young officer finally realized what the strange emotion was.

_Resignation. _The salmon-haired fighter looked incredibly drained, almost as if he wasn't the one who had dominated the fight; as if he _wasn't_ the one who had been the victor, much to Sougo's begrudging admittance. However, the sandy-brown haired young man was mildly surprised when Kamui's gaze flickered to his own, as if he knew he was being analyzed. In an instant any semblance of emotion was gone, replaced by blank neutrality, both men's apathetic facade showing through once more before the Yato male disregarded him and trekked onwards, passing a decimated building in the process. The echo of his footsteps started to wane as his silhouette became increasingly smaller, until his shadowed figure disappeared altogether, the rain akin to a mantra as it poured mercilessly down on everyone, failing to break the tense silence.

* * *

Kagura was startled awake by a sudden urge to pee, completely dominating the earlier wisp of a warm pressure on her stomach, pulsating lightly within her dreamless sleep. Hastily, she had sat up, not noticing the pure white sheets underneath her as she sat in the hospital, nor the numerous bandages wrapped around her head and body until she felt a foreign sensation against her skin for the first time. When she looked down to see what the feeling was, she was honestly surprised, and quite horrified, as to why _him _of all people was there.

Okita Sougo, in all of his glory, was resting his head on her lap, his arms lazily wrapped around her waist and his eyes covered with his all too familiar red sleeping mask. She felt his chest and shoulders heaving up and down as he inhaled and exhaled, dozing away. The tiny moment of disbelief was quickly replaced by a growing annoyance and she was a millisecond away from screaming in his ear, if not for the hand that immediately shot up and clamped her mouth shut.

Before Kagura contemplated biting the appendage that restricted her, the owner of said hand suddenly relinquished his grip and sat up as well, nimbly pulling off his eye mask and leaning forwards toward her face, his wide, crimson orbs staring dead at her. His expression was unusually serious, not even a hint of his lackadaisical mock-concern facade he always wore. Instead, his eyes were penetrating, analyzing her as if he was trying to solve a puzzle; completely focused.

It creeped her out quite a bit.

"Oi, what's wrong with your- "

"You don't remember, do you?" Sougo tersely cut in, ignoring her attempt to talk. Instead, he leaned in until their breaths intermingled and slammed his hands against the wall behind her, startling her momentarily. The disbelief and shock were evident in her wide orbs, yet he didn't relent and instead leaned forward even more, so that the intensity and depth in his crimson orbs were seen.

"... Remember what? Why am I covered in..." The young Yato girl contemplated for a moment, mindlessly reiterating her words, before realization dawned on her and her normally bright cerulean irises widened impeccably and what seemed like a combination of horror and anguish suddenly engulfed her previous nonchalant expression, shocking even the Number One Sadist in front of her. Without warning, Sougo felt a hasty force on his chest push him backwards and away from Kagura, only to find out that she was the one who had abruptly forced him away with her arm, and was staring at him with uncharacteristically frightened eyes and had attempted to blockade her body.

"Get away! Don't come near me! Where's Gin-chan?! Shinpachi?! I want to see them!" She all but shrieked, a hysterical undertone evident in her voice and her eyebrows furrowed in consternation. After overcoming his initial bout of bewilderment at her strange behavior, he only sat there and observed her, ignoring her previous statements completely. Kagura, seeing as he wouldn't budge, started to yell profanities and threats in his direction, yet they were all in vain. Sougo refused to budge and his counterpart on the brink of tears, the stress and anguish at her sudden revelation and reminiscence too overwhelming.

"Please... Go away..." His eyes couldn't have possibly grown wider. _Never _did the typically brash, defiant beast of a girl _apologize _to her number one enemy. It must have been extremely serious if she was willingly pleading to him. And yet, despite the fact that she was obviously distressed, and he was in no way involved in whatever had conflicted her emotions so much, he couldn't help but feel obliged to step in and wipe that horrendously unfitting expression of agony and fear on her face.

_'That hideous face is agonizing to look at. How annoying...' _Sougo reasoned, desperately trying to squash the arising wisp of concern welling up in his chest. When he looked back at Kagura, her eyes were downcast and brimming with tears, threatening to spill down her porcelain cheeks. She was cradling her head with thin, trembling fingers while she attempted to calm down and recollect her thoughts, but to no avail. It pained Sougo greatly just by looking at her and his hardened, analytical eyes softened in poorly contained worry.

_'She's getting on my nerves. Why won't this agonizing pain in my chest go away?' _He silently questioned, mentally berating himself for having such confusing emotions. He steeled himself, determined to wipe that annoying expression off her face, along with the recent emotions that had started to bubble up.

In an instant, Sougo harshly pulled her flush against his frame and enveloped his arms around her trembling figure, one wrapped tightly around her back and the other cradling her head to the junction between his neck and shoulder. He felt a sudden pain on his back, and sensed the distinct pain of Kagura's nails digging into his flesh as she hastily started to struggle and flail her arms, wanting him to release her.

Although the temptation to let go and force her away was beckoning to him, something held him back and he continued to hold her despite her yelling threats in his ear as she thrashed about. In fact, her struggles only proved to be futile as he tightened his embrace the more she attempted to free herself. In the end, she had worn herself down and had resigned to his unyielding self.

"A lady should never cry in public. I thought you knew that already, China," he stated, completely halting her movements, the bafflement evident in her actions.

"That snot-nosed face of yours is disgusting to look at. Fix it," Sougo blanched, not sugar-coating anything in the slightest. She didn't reply nor move, however.

He waited for Kagura to do something, _anything_ as he sat there, holding her in his arms. After what felt like an eternity, he sensed her shifting in his embrace. Sougo was about to reply when he suddenly felt her tremble in his arms, indicated by the jerky movements of her shoulders and body. Within seconds, wet stains were visible on his white Shinsengumi undershirt and vest, and the occasional hiccup as Kagura trued to contain her crying.

He, however, only pushed on the back of her head harder and released an exasperated sigh. "Didn't you hear me, deaf monster? What are you trying to hide? What are you trying to restrain? I know everything about you China; holding things in are just not a part of you," he finished, noticing her sniffling and her horrid attempt to restrain her crying. Kagura halted once more before, stilling completely, before she all but buried herself into her shoulder and started to wail, incomprehensible screams bursting from her raw throat.

Sougo stared in contemplation and concern, his blood red orbs discreetly softening as he watched her vent out her frustrations, an indescribably heart-clenching pain engulfing him as well. Gradually, he felt Kagura start to calm down; her fluctuating, jerky gasps for air morphing into deep, steadfast breathing. Soon, light snores emitted from the young lady as she completely relaxed in his grasp.

As memories of the fight with her brother flashed in his mind, he couldn't help but remember the sinister, blood lusting grin Kagura had donned, and ultimately decided that the usually brazen, gluttonous girl was infinitely better than the deranged Yato monster she had lost control to. He vowed to do everything in his willpower to never let such an expression flash across her face anymore.

Sougo cautiously released the girl in his arms, laid her back onto the hospital bed, and tucked her in, mindful of her still healing injuries as he swept her bangs out of her face. Calmly, he lifted himself and straightened up before turning around and heading towards the door, throwing a gaze back at Kagura's still frame. His eyes briefly flickered to the open window near her bed before turning around and sliding the doors open.

"You're damn lucky the Shinsengumi didn't intervene. The next time we meet, I swear I'll be the one to defeat you," Sougo muttered as he walked out, a vermilion lock of hair fluttering in the wind the last thing he saw as he closed the doors behind him.

* * *

**A/N: I apologize if it's way too OOC and if it took too long, or if it was way too rushed and hasty. I've been quite busy these past few days, but now, since this story is finished, I get to finally work on the sequel to _Puberty Sometimes Is Quite Scary, _so I hope you guys look forward to that!**


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